Signal-lantern for railroad-switches



S. N. LENNONa Signal Lamp for Railroads.

Patented July 27,- 1858.-

S. N. LENNON, OF DEPOSIT, NEWV YORK.

SIGNAL-LANTERN FOR RAILROAD-SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,006, dated July 27, 1858.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that I, S. N. LENNON, of Deposit, in the county of Delaware and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Signal-Lantern for Switches; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1 and 2, are vertical central sections of my improvement the two planes of section crossing each other at right angles. Figs. 3, and 4:, are views of a switch lever shown in two different positions with my improvement attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in placing within a lantern of proper construction, glass slides of different colors, the slides being fitted in proper guides and connected with a pendulous frame, the whole being arranged as hereinafter shown and described, so that by operating the switch lever the colored slides will be moved or adjusted by the pendulous frame and a light of a different color thrown from the lantern at each position of the lever, thereby indicating the position of the switch.

By this invent-ion the signal lantern is rendered self-adjusting or made to operate automatically by the movement of the switch lever, and accidents which have hitherto occurred by the negligence of switchmen in not moving switches will be avoided, for the engineer will be able to see at night the precise position of a switch.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a lantern which may be of quadrilateral form.

B, is the lamp placed therein and secured a short distance above the bottom of the lantern. C, is a frame formed of two rods (5, a, having each a hook I), formed at their upper ends, said hooks being fitted in eyes 0, attached to the upper part of the lantern. The lower ends of the rods are attached to a weight D, which is below the lamp B, the rods a, a, passing up each side of the lamp B, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

In two opposite sides of the'lantern A, white or uncolored glass plates d, are fitted,

one in each side, and directly behind each glass cl, two colored plates 6, f, are placed, one green and the other red. These plates 6, are placed side by side and have their upper and lower ends fitted in bars 9, said bars being fitted in guides it, attached to the inner sides of the lantern. The position of the two colored plates 0, f, is at one side of the lantern plainly shown in Fig. 1. They are precisely alike at both sides. Each plate 6, f, corresponds in size to the uncolored plates (Z, that are fitted in the sides of the lantern.

The lantern is attached to the upper end of the switch lever E, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the colored plates 6, f, are connected to the rods a, a, by staples or eyes When the switch lever E, is in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 3, the green glass 7, will be directly over the plates (Z, in the sides of the lantern and a green light will consequently be projected therefrom, when however the switch lever is inclined as shown in Fig. 4, the red glass 6, will be over the plates (Z, and a red light will consequently be projected from the lantern. The movement of the glass slides e, f, being effected by the pendulous frame C, in connection with the movement of the lever E, the frame G, of

course always remaining in a vertical position, whatever the position of the lever and lantern may be. As red is a color generally used on railroad signals to indicate danger, the red light should be shown when the switch is out of line with the main track, and the green light shown when all is right.

I am aware that colored and sliding glass plates have been employed for signal lamps or lanterns and analogous purposes, and I therefore do not claim broadly the use of such plates, but,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Attaching the colored glass plates or slides e, f, two or more, which are placed at each side of the lantern to a pendulous frame C, placed within the lantern and arranged in such relation with the colored plates or slides e, f, as to operate in connection with the switch lever E, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

S. N. LENNON.

Witnesses:

JOHN F. HERRIOK, JAMES B. LEAL. 

